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Greenville's Sylvia Utz, 110, beating the odds
- Related article: Utz known for sharp mind, humor
Monday, March 09, 2009
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Sylvia Booker Utz, who will be turning 110 years old today, March 9, talks in her room at the Brethren Retirement Community in Greenville. She may be the region's last living link to 19th century. The supercentenarian wasn't all that impressed by the big number. 'To me, it's just another day,' she said. Staff photos by Jim Witmer
Sylvia Booker Utz holds a certified copy of her birth record, which shows she was born on March 9, 1899.GREENVILLE — Only one in 5 million U.S. residents lives to be 110.
Today, Sylvia Booker Utz of Greenville has beaten those odds.
Born on March 9, 1899, in Darke County's Franklin Twp., Utz may be the region's last living human link to the 19th century. The youngest of five children, she married Harley Utz on June 15, 1918, before World War I ended. Their marriage lasted 83½ years, a Guinness world record, until his death in November 2001 at age 103.
Now Utz, still in remarkably good health, appears poised to start setting records on her own.
With today's birthday, she joins an elite group of supercentenarians — people who are 110 years old. Only 89 people alive worldwide have been verified as such, according to the Gerontology Research Group. Utz has her certified birth record from Darke County Probate Court. Her marriage license also confirms her date of birth, and her grandson has a copy of a page from the 1900 census that lists her birth month as March 1899.
Those documents would make Utz only the second living Ohioan to be verified as a supercentenarian. Only Ethel Johnson, 111, of Upper Sandusky has been verified as older.
The Gerontology Research Group requires three documents, plus a photograph, that verify a person is really 110.
The world's oldest verified person, Gertrude Baines of California, has her 115th birthday April 6.
Despite moving toward record territory, Utz doesn't think much of birthdays, including her latest one.
"To me, it's just another day," she said.
She acknowledges people tell her she inspires them, then added, "Well, I'm glad I'm good for something."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7457 or
bsutherly@DaytonDailyNews.com.
